Maternal Instinct
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: When a battered woman comes to the Bay Area Social Services for help, the Charmed Ones become embroiled in a fight with demons to save the life of the woman’s unborn child.
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED

"Maternal Instinct"

By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. K

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes "Brain Drain" and "Black As Cole".)

When a battered woman comes to the Bay Area Social Services for help, the Charmed Ones become embroiled in a fight with demons to save the life of the woman's unborn child.

ONE

"And how are we feeling this morning?" questioned Paige as she bounded down the stairs and into the living room.

"I don't know how you're feeling but I'm a little tired," said Piper who was stretched out on the sofa. "Having the Source of All Evil in my mind can be very taxing. Not to mention I nearly stripped us of our powers."

"That's okay. You didn't so all's right with the world. So, are you just going to veg out here all day?"

"Not all day but a good part of it. I still have to go get the club ready this afternoon but until then I'm just going to lie here and rest up."

"Well, I think you've earned it. We defeated the Source so I think you deserve some rest and relaxation."

"We defeated him this time. That's no guarantee we will the next time. And there will be a next time, trust me on that."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now I'm off to work. For a change I'm going to be early. That will make my boss happy."

"Well, you have a good day, sweetie. I'll see you when you get home tonight."

Smiling, Paige headed out the door to her car. Working at the Bay Area Social Services had always been challenging for her. Not that she minded the challenge. At least it made her feel like she was really helping people. But when compared to fighting demons and protecting the innocent, her work was easy.

Just as she had predicted she arrived early at work. Her boss didn't say anything to her but she noticed him check his watch as she came in the front door. She smiled to herself as she took a seat at her desk. He was always lecturing her about the importance of being prompt. At least for today she wouldn't have to worry about that lecture.

She spent most of the morning working on her paperwork. No matter how much she worked on it, it never seemed to get done. In fact, if she didn't know better, she would have sworn that it just continued to build up. She was bound and determined that today she was going get caught up.

It was just before lunch when she saw the woman come into the office. The woman was about thirty and she was pregnant. Very pregnant. Paige just glanced up as she saw Harry step over to speak to the woman. Harry was a good social worker. Whatever the woman's problem she couldn't be in more capable hands. Paige went back to her paperwork. A few moments later Harry came over to her desk, the woman close behind.

"Paige? This young woman asked for you by name."

"Hi there," said Paige, putting aside the file she was currently working on. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Harry just smiled and then walked back to his own desk. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for people to ask for a specific social worker. Many had dealt with a specific one in the past and still others had been referred by friends. Whenever possible the workers tried to accommodate anyone who walked through the door.

"Paige Matthews?" questioned the woman nervously. "You were referred to me by a friend. She dealt with you a few months ago and she said you were very good. She said I could trust you."

"That's what we're here for," said Paige smiling. "What's your name?"

"Tricia," replied the woman. "Tricia Boyle."

"Okay, Tricia. If I may ask, who referred you to me?"

"What?" questioned the woman. "Oh, uh, Gladys Murphy."

"I don't remember any Gladys Murphy," said Paige thoughtfully.

"Please, I need your help," pleaded the woman. "If he finds me he'll kill me. I have no one else to turn to. You have to help me."

"Okay, just relax," said Paige. "No one is going to hurt you here. Now, why don't you just start from the beginning and tell me what this is all about?"

"Well," said the woman, glancing around furtively, "I'm pregnant, as you can see. About 7 ½ months. When my, uh, husband found out I was pregnant he wasn't real happy. He was never interested in having children."

"Some men are like that," said Paige, trying to calm the woman down. "You said something about him trying to kill you?"

"Yes," said the woman. "My husband is very old fashioned. He thinks that the first child must be a boy to carry on the family name. I recently discovered that I'm going to have a girl. If he finds out he won't like it. I'm afraid he'll kill me when he does find out."

"Is he abusive?" asked Paige. "Has he ever hit you before?"

"All the time," said the woman. "It started right after we got married. If the dinner wasn't on time or if I was gone longer than he thought I should be he'd hit me. To teach me my proper place, as he put it."

"Yeah, I know the type," said Paige. "We deal with a lot of them. Why do you think he'll kill you if he finds out you're having a girl instead of a boy?"

"He said he would," said Tricia. "He's often said that only male children are worth having. His whole family is like that. The women in his family are treated as second class citizens. I don't have anywhere else to turn. I can't stay home."

"Do you have any family you could go to?" Paige asked. "Some place where you'd be safe?"

"He knows all my family. If I go to one of them he'll just follow me."

"You could go to the police," suggested Paige. "If he's hit you before you can press charges against him. They'll lock him up."

"That's not an option," said the woman. "You see, he's an inspector with the San Francisco police department. None of the police will believe that he's abusive. He presents the perfect air to the outside world but at home, alone, it's a different story. I couldn't even consider filing a report because none of them would believe me."

"Would you like something to drink? Maybe some water or something."

"Some water would be nice."

Paige got up and walked over to the water cooler near the door. As she was filling the cup a man wearing a suit and tie entered the office. He glanced around as Paige's boss walked over to him.

"Can I help you?" asked her boss.

"Yes," said the man, showing a police ID. "I'm Inspector Dennis Boyle with the San Francisco PD. I'm looking for my wife and I understand she came in here. Her name is Tricia and she's about 7 or 8 months pregnant."

"Oh, I think I saw her go down the hall," said Paige. "It's the fourth door on your left just down the hall."

The man turned and headed down the hall without so much as a "thank you".

"Paige," said her boss, "you just sent the inspector to the janitor's closet."

"No time for specifics," said Paige. "I have his wife at my desk right now and according to her he thinks he's using her to audition for the next 'Rocky' movie."

"Understood," said her boss. "I'll try to keep him busy while you get her out the back door. Get her over to the shelter as quickly as you can."

"He's a cop," said Paige. "He probably knows where the shelter is. I'll take him home until he can check the shelter and find out she's not there. Then I can take her over there until we can get everything sorted out. Thanks for understanding."

"Our job it to help and protect our clients," said her boss. "Even from the police if necessary. Just get her out of here before there's a scene."

Paige hurried back over to her desk.

"Come on, Tricia," said Paige. "We have to get you out of here. Your husband just came in and my boss is going to keep him busy until we can get you to some place safe."

"Oh no," cried Tricia. "I didn't think he'd find me so quickly. What am I going to do?"

"You're coming with me, that's what you're going to do," said Paige. "I'll make sure you're safe from your husband and we'll see to it he never hurts you again."

Tricia offered no resistance. As Paige's boss attempted to delay the inspector, Paige and Tricia hurried out the back door of the office.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"And you thought it was a good idea to bring her here?" questioned Piper.

"Piper, her husband is a cop," insisted Paige. "And he beats on her. It was the only place I could think of where she'd be safe. The police know where the shelters are. All we need to do is keep her here until he checks the shelter and finds out she's not there then I can take her there. It's only for a few hours. And we are supposed to, uh, protect people, aren't we?"

"She has a point," said Phoebe. "And she is pregnant. When are you due?"

"Well, I'm about 7 ½ months along," said Tricia nervously. "But the women in my family have a history of early deliveries so it could be almost any day now."

"Well," said Piper thoughtfully, "I guess we can't just send her back to get the hell beat out of her. Not to mention it could hurt the baby. I wouldn't want to be responsible for that. Okay, she can stay here for a while. But I want you to get her to the shelter as soon as you can. They're a lot better equipped to handle something like this than we are."

"Thanks, Piper," said Paige. "I really appreciate your understanding."

"What about Cole?" questioned Phoebe. "I'm sure he still has some connections in the District Attorney's office. Maybe he could do something about your husband."

"Cole?" questioned the woman.

"Cole Turner," said Phoebe. "He's my boyfriend. And he used to be an Assistant District Attorney. If your husband is an abusive cop he'd be the perfect one to deal with it."

"Oh, no," pleaded the woman, "you don't understand. My husband has everyone fooled. They think he's the perfect policeman and husband. They won't even believe that he beats me. I doubt there's anything your boyfriend could do about it."

"Cole isn't like that," said Phoebe. "He'll believe you. At the very least we can get it on the record that he's abusive. A lot of the time that's enough to keep him from hitting you."

"Not as much as you'd think," said Paige. "Those types never think about the consequences of their actions while they're doing them."

"Well, at least maybe we could get his supervisor to talk with him," suggested Piper. "Let them know what he's doing."

"Maybe Darryl can help," suggested Phoebe. "He's an inspector with the police department. And I know he would never let something like this go on."

"I just need to get some rest," said Tricia. "I've been so afraid since I found out the baby is a girl I haven't been able to rest properly. I'm very tired."

"Well you just sit here and rest," said Piper. "I'll get you something to eat. And as soon as Paige can arrange it you can go to the shelter where they'll make sure you're safe."

"Thank you," said Tricia. "I knew this was the place to come. I knew you'd protect my baby and me."

"It's what we do," said Paige.

"I just want it understood that this can't be a regular thing," Piper said to Paige when the sisters had gone into the kitchen. "I understand you were only trying to help and I'm glad we can help her. But we can't have innocents being brought to the manor all the time. There's too much of a risk of a demon attack and they could get hurt. Not to mention she's pregnant. That makes it twice as dangerous."

"I know and I promise it won't be a recurring theme," said Paige. "But it was kind of an unusual situation. If her husband hadn't been a cop we could have dealt with it at the office. But the police are a little different from the normal spouses we have to deal with."

"I know," said Piper. "I guess it's okay for now. At least here she doesn't have to worry about anyone beating on her."

"I need to get back in there," said Paige. "She's still really nervous. I can't say I blame her. On the way over here she said she's been married about ten years. I can only imagine what she's gone through those ten years. She's probably used to getting hit every time she opens her mouth."

"I just don't understand why a woman would stay in an abusive relationship," said Piper. "There's no reason for anyone to put up with that."

"Well, I learned in my psych class that for a lot of women it's all they know," said Phoebe. "Their fathers were probably abusive and it's how they grow up. Sometimes it takes a while for them to learn and understand that it's not a normal situation."

"But with all the education out there you'd think treatment like that would be a thing of the past."

"Intellectual knowledge is one thing. Emotional knowledge is something altogether different. And the two aren't always the same thing."

"Maybe you're right," said Piper. "Speaking of Cole, where is he right now?"

"He said something about running an errand. He should be home soon. I think I'll talk to him about Tricia. Maybe he can do something to get her husband to leave her alone."

"It's probably a waste of time but at least it's worth a try. He might even be able to talk to Darryl. If the District Attorney's office can't do anything I'm sure the police department can. I doubt they would like the idea of an abusive inspector on the force."

"I'll call Darryl after I talk to Cole."

"You really think it's a good idea to have her here?" Leo asked later after he had orbed into the manor. "If a demon attacks she could be in danger."

"It's only for a couple of hours," said Piper. "The chances of a demon attacking while she's here are remote. Besides, she needs help and we're supposed to help the innocent, aren't we?"

"Yeah," said Leo, "with demonic problems. This isn't exactly the type of situation you were given your powers for."

"Paige is doing it as part of her job," said Piper. "Besides, we aren't using magic. We're just letting her stay her until Paige can make arrangements to get her into a shelter then she'll be gone. You can't expect us to just turn her out. She's pregnant."

"Who's pregnant?" Cole asked coming in the back door.

"A woman from Paige's work," said Piper. "Her husband is abusive and a cop and Paige brought her here until she can get her into the women's shelter."

"An abusive cop?" questioned Cole. "Have you called his supervisor? I can tell you that one thing the police department doesn't tolerate is a cop who abuses his family."

"Phoebe said something about talking to Darryl after she talked to you. She thought that maybe you could do something about in your capacity as an ADA."

"Well, I'm not exactly in good standing there any more. But I suppose I could make a couple of calls. But someone really needs to talk to his supervisor. I know she's probably feeling that no one will listen to her because her husband is a cop but they will. Especially in a city the size of San Francisco the police department has their share of abusive officers."

"Then you think her supervisor will do something about it?" Phoebe asked, coming into the kitchen. "Hey, sweetie. When did you get home?"

"Just now," said Cole. "And, yes, I'm sure her supervisor will do something about it. If he's abusive to her then he probably has reports of being abusive on the job as well. Even if he doesn't I can tell you the police department takes a very dim view of policemen who abuse their families."

"You think Darryl can help?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm sure he can," said Cole. "If nothing else he can let her husband know that someone will be keeping an eye on her. He'll be more than likely to watch his step if he knows another cop is watching him."

"Well, that's good news anyway," said Phoebe. "At least Tricia has some light at the end of the tunnel."

"More than you know," said Cole. "The shelter is just the first step. There are all kinds of agencies devoted specifically to helping women in her situation. I can even put her in touch with some of them and help expedite the paperwork for her."

"I think she'd like that," said Piper. "I'm sure she doesn't think she has anywhere to turn at the moment."

"Let's go have a chat with her," said Cole. "I've had to do it before and to be honest it would be nice to help someone instead of putting them in jail for a change."

Phoebe took Cole's hand and led him into the living room where Paige and Tricia sat talking.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Tricia, this is Cole Turner, my boyfriend," Phoebe introduced in the living room. "I told you about him earlier. He's an Assistant District Attorney for San Francisco."

"Yes, I remember," said Tricia, bowing her head. "It is an honor to meet you, sir."

"Enough of that," said Cole. "I can imagine what you've been going through and around here we're all treated as equals. So let's drop all the sir stuff, okay?"

"O . . .okay," stammered Tricia.

"Have we met before?" questioned Cole. "You look familiar."

"No, no I don't think so," said Tricia. "Maybe you saw me in the courtroom or something. Dennis used to insist I accompany him to court. I don't think he really ever trusted me."

"They tell me your husband is a cop," said Cole.

"Y . . .yes," stammered Tricia again. "He's an inspector for the San Francisco police department."

"Well, just let me say that even though he's a cop he has no right to hit you," said Cole. "Cop or not it's still assault and he can be prosecuted for it. And I know a couple of ADA's who would love to do just that."

"He'll have the entire police department behind him," said Tricia. "It wouldn't do any good."

"And you have the entire District Attorney's office behind you," said Cole. "Technically, the police work for the DA's office. Trust me. They can make sure he never hits you again. And I know some agencies that can help you get on your feet so you don't have to be dependent on him ever again."

"Thank you," said Tricia. "I wasn't sure what I was going to do. If he finds out I'm having a girl instead of a boy I'm sure he'll kill me. His . . . family doesn't put much value on girls."

"I know the type," said Cole. "A rather archaic point of view. Unfortunately there are always a few who will feel that way. Now just relax. No one is going to hurt you while you're here and we'll make sure he never hurts you again, wherever you go."

"Thank you," Tricia said again. "I . . . I appreciate all the help."

"Not bad, Turner," said Piper in the kitchen. "You handled that very nicely."

"As I said," said Cole, "I've had to do it before."

"Boy, she's really been brainwashed," said Phoebe. "Her husband probably makes her feel like she isn't worth anything."

"More than likely," said Cole. "It's how his type keeps control over their wives. But she looks so familiar. I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before."

"It's probably just like she said," said Piper. "You probably saw her in the courtroom at some time."

"Yeah, that's probably it," said Cole. "I think it's a good idea if you call Darryl. Despite what I told her there's only so much I can do. The police can deal with this a lot better than we can and I think Darryl is a perfect choice. He's another inspector. Inspector Boyle will listen to another inspector before a regular policeman."

"I'll call him later," said Phoebe. "After he gets home. It's so hard to get hold of him when he's working. He's usually out somewhere working on a case."

"Just tell him everything she told you," said Cole. "Darryl can check around and see if there's any evidence to suggest he's abusive in other aspects of his life. If he beats her I'm willing to bet it crops up in other areas as well. Darryl will be in the position to find that out."

"I wish we could help more people like this," said Phoebe. "It's a lot different from fighting demons all the time."

"Fighting demons is important," said Leo. "If you don't fight the demons then women like Tricia wouldn't even stand a chance."

"I understand that," said Phoebe. "It's just nice to help someone without having to resort to magic, that's all."

"Well, like I told Paige," said Piper, "we aren't going to make it a habit. There's too much chance of a demon attack. Besides, we aren't a boarding house. As soon as Paige can arrange it Tricia is going to go to the shelter where she'll be safe. And she won't have to worry about any demons attacking."

"I understand and I agree with you," said Phoebe. "Demons attacking us are one thing. Demons attacking an innocent, especially an innocent who's pregnant, is something all together different."

"I'll make some calls tomorrow," said Cole. "I can at least put her in touch with the right agencies. Who would have thought that not so long ago someone like Tricia wouldn't have been a concern for me?"

"That's the power of love, sweetie," said Phoebe, hugging him close.

"Don't you two have a room?" asked Piper, mock sarcasm in her voice.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," said Phoebe, dragging Cole out of the kitchen.

"Oh, for crying out loud," said Piper. "I only meant it as a joke."

"You should know better than that by now," said Leo, smiling at her.

Just then there was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," Piper called out, heading for the front door.

Phoebe would be upstairs with Cole and Paige was still talking to Tricia. Since she was the only one not occupied at the moment it just stood to reason that she should answer the door. When she opened the door she found a man in a suit standing on the front porch.

"Is this the Halliwell house?" the man said, practically demanding to know.

"That depends on who's doing the asking," said Piper.

"Inspector Boyle, S.F.P.D.," replied the man, showing his police identification. "I understand you have my wife here. I've come to get her."

He pushed his way past Piper and started to enter the manor. Piper grabbed his arm, preventing him from heading for the living room.

"Hang on a second there," said Piper. "I don't care if you are a policeman you can't just barge in here like that. Now, unless you have a warrant or something, I would suggest . . . ."

The man grabbed Piper by the throat and threw her up against the entryway wall.

"Stay out of this," he said, venom in his voice. "Unless you'd like to find yourself in a jail cell on obstruction and interfering charges. Just stand there like a good lady and no one gets hurt."

"Take your hands off her," demanded Leo from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Stay out of this," said the man, glancing at Leo. "Or I'll run you in as well."

He released Piper and turned for the living room. As he entered the living room Tricia was on her feet, fear in her eyes. She involuntarily backed away from him. Paige took up a position between Tricia and Inspector Boyle.

"Honey, you need to come home," said Boyle.

"She's not going anywhere with you," said Paige. "She doesn't have to and if she wants to stay here she has every right to."

"You don't understand," said Boyle. "She's sick. She has delusions. Without her medication she might hurt herself or the baby. Come on, honey. Let's go home so we can get you your medication."

"Don't let him take me," whispered Tricia to Paige. "If he takes me out of here he'll kill me."

"Look, Inspector Boyle," said Paige. "If she really needs medication you can bring it here for her. But she's not going with you. You might as well just get out of here."

"And I'll just arrest you for interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties," said Boyle. "I'm taking her with me and there's nothing you can do to stop it. So just step aside and no one gets hurt."

"I don't think that's likely to happen."

Boyle spun around to see Cole standing at the top of the stairs with Phoebe at his side. Cole glared at Boyle.

"You've got more guts than brains, Larrick. I never would have thought you'd have the guts to come here alone."

"Belthazor," gasped Boyle.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"Wait a minute," Piper said, moving into the living room and taking a position next to Paige. "He's a demon?"

"A mercenary to be precise," said Cole, moving down the steps. "Funny, you never struck me as the paternal type, Larrick."

"The Charmed Ones," hissed the demon. "I have no quarrel with you. I only want the Chalzha. I hadn't realized this was the home of the Charmed Ones. Just let me have her and I'll be on my way."

"Not going to happen," said Piper, her hands ready to explode the demon. "We aren't in the habit of turning innocents over to demons."

"Did you not hear me?" demanded the demon. "She is no innocent. She is Chalzha. You have no authority over her."

"You'd better listen to them, Larrick," said Cole. "They aren't going to let you take her. More than likely you're going to get yourself vanquished for your trouble. I don't know who hired you but if I were you I'd go back and let them know their target has protection."

"You would protect the Chalzha?" questioned Larrick. "She cannot be allowed to continue. Even a shelka like you should understand that."

"Out of my hands," said Cole. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help."

"This is not finished," hissed Larrick. "The Chalzha will be dealt with eventually. Not even the Charmed Ones can protect her forever."

Suddenly Larrick shimmered and vanished from the manor.

"Okay, that was different," said Phoebe. "A demon who wasn't interested in us? How often does that happen?"

"Larrick is a mercenary," said Cole. "He was hired to bring her back to the Underworld."

"Okay, Tricia," said Paige, "I know how this must sound to you. But we can explain it."

"Not as crazy as you might think," said Cole, walking up to Tricia. "I remember where I've seen you before. You were a servant for my mother."

"Your mother?" questioned Phoebe. "Cole, your mother was a demon."

"That's right," said Cole. "And Tricia here was one of her servants. I only met her a couple of times and that was, what, ten, twelve years ago? I don't recall your name."

"I am called Trinnsia," said the woman. "I am honored you remember me."

"She's a demon?" questioned Paige. "I've been helping a demon?"

"So it would seem," said Cole.

"That Larrick called her a Chalzha," said Piper. "What does that mean?"

"It's from an ancient demonic dialect," said Cole. "It means 'the cast out one'. It's usually reserved for the worst offenders who betray their masters."

"Larrick also called you a shelka," said Phoebe. "What is that?"

"It means 'traitor'," said Leo. "If I'm not mistaken, it's also a demonic term."

"Yes, it is," said Cole. "Not the first time I've been called that." He turned to Trinnsia. "What I'd like to know is why a mercenary like Larrick would be hired to get you. And why you would be considered Chalzha?"

"I'd like to know why we're protecting a demon," said Piper. "We should have let Larrick take her. We aren't in the habit of protecting demons, lady."

"I didn't know where else to go," said Trinnsia. "I didn't lie to you. If I had remained in the Underworld they would have vanquished me. And they would vanquish my baby. I can't let them do that."

"A demon concerned about someone else?" questioned Piper. "That doesn't sound like any demons I ever heard of. Present company excluded, of course."

"Even demonic mothers care for their young," said Cole. "Being a demon doesn't mean they are totally without feelings. Even most animals will protect their young."

"And we should care about that because?" questioned Piper.

"It doesn't make sense that even demons would want to vanquish their own young," said Leo. "They may not be able to love like humans do but they aren't genocidal."

"That would depend on the child," said Cole. "The weak and infirmed are often exterminated without a second thought. They don't want to pollute the demonic gene pool with defective genes."

"That sounds like the demons I know," said Piper. "So the question is, why would demons want this particular child killed?"

"Cole, could it be because it's a female?" questioned Phoebe. "You once told me that females are considered second class citizens in the Underworld. Maybe the father of the child doesn't want any female offspring."

"Simply being female is not usually a reason to vanquish a child," said Cole. "Besides, Larrick is one of the top mercenaries. He'd only hire out to a very high level demon. And a demon that high would probably just vanquish the child himself instead of hiring a mercenary to do it for him."

"The child's father has not sent anyone after us," said Trinnsia. "He is . . . no longer alive."

"He's been vanquished?" questioned Phoebe. "Well, if the father has been vanquished, why would another demon care about the child?"

"Normally, they wouldn't," said Cole. "Especially not a female child. Something else is going on here. Something more than just a female demonic child."

"That's because it is not a demonic child," said Trinnsia. "The child's father was not a demon. He was human."

Everyone just stared at Trinnsia in surprise.

"So let's get this straight," said Piper in the kitchen. "She claims that her unborn child is half human? Just like you?"

"Well, not just like me," said Cole. "According to her the baby is female."

"You know what I mean," snapped Piper. "Could what she be telling us be true? Could her baby be half human?"

"It's possible," said Cole. "That could also be why they want her dead. Normally she'd have to have permission from her master to have a half human baby. If she violated that it could well be enough to warrant her death."

"Just because she got pregnant without permission?" questioned Paige.

"No," said Cole. "Because she got pregnant with a human's baby without permission. My mother had permission from her master to have me. I imagine that's why she's come here now instead of earlier. She said she recently found out that her baby was a female. As long as her master thought the baby was a male he would have left her alone."

"You mean if it was a boy they would let her have it but because it's a girl they want to kill it?" questioned Paige. "I know the Underworld is a patriarchal society and females aren't considered important, but that just doesn't make any sense."

"It's a very old tradition in the Underworld," said Cole. "I'm not sure anyone really remembers when it started or why. Males have always dominated it. Females are considered important only for serving the males and bearing the young."

"As long as those young are male," said Phoebe.

"Cole's right," said Leo. "Females aren't considered important in the Underworld. There are a few exceptions but even they don't enjoy the same freedoms as a male. It's been like that as long as anyone can remember."

"Still," said Cole, "even a male would need a reason to kill the child other than it's a female. Even the most chauvinistic demon wouldn't want to kill the child simply for that. There must be some other reason for it."

"Well, why don't we go ask Tricia or Trinnsia or whatever her name is if she knows why some demon wants this child killed?" suggest Piper.

"That's a good idea," said Cole. "Maybe she can shed some light on this."

Together everyone went back into the living room to try and unravel the mystery of the female demon and her unborn child.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"Look, Trinnsia, or whatever your name is," said Piper, "you need to tell us the truth. If you want our help we have to know exactly what's going on here. So that means you have to be truthful with us."

"It's true," said Trinnsia. "I disobeyed my master to get pregnant."

"Your master?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean Cole's mother?"

"Female demons cannot be masters or mistresses," said Cole. "Her master would be the same demon who was my mother's master."

"I thought you said she was your mother's servant?" questioned Paige.

"I was," said Trinnsia. "After Belthazor – I mean, Cole – turned out to be such a great demon his mother was honored with special favors. The Source was very pleased with him. At least until he vanquished the Triad. Until then he was considered a great demon in the Underworld and his mother was treated accordingly."

"That's why you disobeyed your master," said Cole. "So that you could get that same treatment."

"Yes," said Trinnsia. "I thought if I could have a son like you I'd get the same special favors. Mephistan was not pleased to learn of my pregnancy. Especially when he learned the father was human. But he said I could keep the child."

"Mephistan?" questioned Phoebe.

"A very high level demon," said Leo. "One of the upper echelon of demons."

"And your master?" Cole questioned Trinnsia.

"Yes," said the demoness. "He believed the child may be as powerful as you are. And he planned to use that power to his advantage."

"Why would he think that?" Paige asked. "Why wouldn't he think the baby would be like any other half demon half human hybrid?"

"Because my mother was a demon, not my father," said Cole. "No one really knows why I'm so much more powerful than most hybrids. But Cartrack, one of my demonic teachers, once told me he thought it was because my mother was a demon. Most hybrids have a demonic father and a human mother."

"So you're saying that simply having a demonic mother instead of father makes you more powerful than other hybrids?" Piper asked.

"That's the prevailing theory," said Cole. "You see demonic power is passed down through the female side of the family tree even though it's the males who are the more powerful. It's kind of like witches. The lineage for witches is usually passed down through the females. Only in demonic lineage the power is manifested in the males."

"That's what the Elders have theorized, too," said Leo. "But to tell the truth, no one knows for sure why you're so much more powerful than most hybrids."

"Because the child is half human it was necessary for me to reside on the mortal plane," said Trinnsia. "Demons have little knowledge or experience with the unborn fetus of a human. So to insure it received the proper treatment, I was sent to the mortal plane to live with Larrick as his wife."

"You said he beat you," said Paige.

"Yes," said Trinnsia. "It is not uncommon in the Underworld. It is punishment when a female displeases her master. I was told that while I was on the mortal plane Larrick would be my master."

"Which means he would be allowed to do whatever he wanted with her," said Cole.

"But this isn't the Underworld," protested Phoebe.

"It wouldn't make a difference to demons," said Cole. "She would be considered their property whether here or in the Underworld."

"And they can just kill a child because they want to?" Paige asked.

"If they want to," said Cole. "Remember, women and children are considered property in the Underworld. Male children are treated like first class citizens but they're still property."

"It just doesn't make any sense that they'd kill a child just because it's female," said Paige. "I mean, how would they keep the line going if they didn't have any females?"

"They don't just kill a female child," said Cole. "As I said it would take more reason than that for a demon to want the child dead. It's probably because the child is half human."

"But you were half human," said Piper.

"I was also a male," said Cole. "That protected me. This child being a girl changes everything. That's why the child is being murdered. And why Trinnsia is under penalty of death as well."

"But you said being female wasn't enough to want the child dead," said Phoebe.

"It would in this circumstance," said Cole. "Tradition in the Underworld doesn't allow a half demon half human female to live. As soon as it's discovered that the child is female both mother and child are murdered immediately. It's one of the oldest traditions in the Underworld."

"You mean they don't allow female hybrids to live at all?" questioned Piper.

"That's right," said Cole. "In the entire collective memory of the Underworld no female hybrids have ever been allowed to live. And it is very strictly enforced."

"Now you see why I've come to you," said Trinnsia. "When it's discovered that my child is a female hybrid no demon will protect me. I'll be murdered immediately and if the child has all ready been born she will be murdered as well. I am not powerful enough to protect myself, let alone an infant child. But I knew the Charmed Ones would protect us. Since the child is half human they are honor bound to protect her. She is an innocent."

"If she is half human," said Piper, suspiciously. "We have no proof that the child is half human. How do we know this isn't some sort of demonic trick to get us to protect this child?"

"I can show you the child's medical records," said Trinnsia. "You will see that the child is human."

"Which actually proves nothing," said Cole. "It's not unusual for a demonic child to appear human in nearly all respects, even before it's born. But Piper has a point. How do we know this child is actually half human?"

"I can give you the father's name," said Trinnsia. "Even though he is dead you can see that he was fully human."

"Giving us the name of some human doesn't prove he's the father of the child," said Piper. "Only a DNA test will prove that."

"And right now a DNA test would show the child to be demon," said Cole. "Even if it's half human its human DNA won't start to assert itself until four or five months after the child has been born."

"Please," pleaded Trinnsia, "you have to believe me. You can't let them kill me or my baby. I've told you the truth. The child is half human. Why else would Larrick be sent to kill us? Why else would I be considered Chalzha?"

"There are any number of reasons for either of those," said Cole. "Having a female hybrid is only one reason."

"Well, to be honest," said Phoebe, "we really don't have any evidence that she's lied to us. It's very possible her baby is half human."

"She's a friggin demon," said Piper. "Lying is what demons do."

"Phoebe does have a point," said Leo. "I'm not conceding that she's telling us the truth but we can't discount the fact that she is telling the truth, either."

"Whose side are you on?" Piper asked.

"No ones," said Leo. "But we do have an unborn child to consider. If the child is half human you can't just let Trinnsia be murdered, even if she's a demon. The child may be half demon but it would be half human as well and that would make it an innocent."

"Wouldn't it being half demon disqualify it from being an innocent?" questioned Paige.

"Eventually, yes," said Leo. "But until it's powers begin to manifest themselves she'll be as helpless as any newborn human child. And since even a half demon child has the possibility of being good you can't just abandon it."

"Can the Elders help?" questioned Piper. "I mean if this child is half human would they be able to find out?"

"I don't know," said Leo. "They didn't know about Paige initially and she's half White Lighter."

"They also didn't have any reason to suspect that she existed," said Phoebe. "It's possible they would have been able find out about her before she used her magic if they had known she existed."

"That's true," said Leo. "But we're talking about a half demon child here. That makes it even more difficult. I'm not sure that even the Elders' spies in the Underworld would be able to find out."

"There are spies in the Underworld?" questioned Paige.

"Some," said Leo. "Not many. My point is that it may not be possible even for the Elders to find out if this child is half human."

"Well, it can't hurt to go ask," said Piper. "The worst they can do is say they don't know."

"I'll check with them but I can't make any promises," said Leo.

"Just check, that's all I ask," said Piper.

"In the mean time, what do we do with her?" questioned Phoebe.

"Well," said Piper thoughtfully, "until we can determine one way or the other I guess we'd better protect her. Just in case the baby does turn out to be half human. We can always kick her out later if we find out she's lied to us."

"And what do we do if we find out she has lied to us?" Paige asked.

"We cross that bridge when we get to it," said Piper.

Leo orbed out of the manor to check with the Elders about their current guest.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"Do you think he'll have any luck with the Elders?" Paige asked in the kitchen.

"I don't know," said Piper. "Like he said, it's not going to be easy to get information on something like this. And there's no telling how long it will take for them to find out."

"Well, it might be better if the child died before it was born," said Cole. "Especially if it is half human."

"How can you say that?" questioned Phoebe. "It's just a baby."

"You have no idea what it's like in the Underworld being half human," said Cole. "It's not something I would wish on anyone."

"Was it really that bad?" Paige asked.

"A half human among demons?" questioned Cole. "You know how demons feel about humans. How do you think a demon who is half human would be treated by them? They accepted me but only barely. And they never passed up the opportunity to let me know I wasn't quite as good as they were because I had the misfortune to have a human father."

"I guess they picked on you, huh?" Piper asked.

"When you were going to school, was there a school bully?" asked Cole. "Someone who intimidated everyone else?"

"Of course," said Piper. "I think all schools have at least one of those."

"Well, imagine that only with everyone else being the bullies," said Cole. "Not just one or two but every full demon child being that way. I didn't even have any friends. No one wanted to be friends with the half breed bastard."

"No friends at all?" questioned Phoebe.

"Well, I did have one friend," said Cole. "He was another hybrid like me. Only his powers were never that powerful. After a few years he had had enough and left. After that I was on my own. Not even my mother could protect me all the time. I have no doubt the demon children would have killed me if it weren't for the fact that I had the Source's favor. He expected great things from me."

"But they still picked on you," said Piper.

"Every chance they got," said Cole. "I would always return to our chamber in the Underworld with bruises or scrapes or some other 'trophy' of the fights I had gotten into. And the parents didn't seem to think it was a serious matter."

"It doesn't sound like you did well in the Underworld," said Piper.

"Not at first," said Cole. "But then my powers began to develop. The first time I used an energy ball everyone was surprised, even me. What was even more surprising was that my energy balls were more powerful than those for a demon my age. To be honest I think it frightened me more than it frightened the others. I didn't know how to properly control them and I wasn't sure just how powerful they really were. Even my mother seemed surprised they were so powerful."

"I'll bet the other demon children left you alone after that," said Paige.

"You could say that," said Cole. "The next time one of them started to pick on me I just used my new energy balls. I vanquished him on the spot. All the other children became very afraid of me. None of them had the power I did and they knew they couldn't stand up to me."

"So you became the bully?" questioned Phoebe.

"I never got the chance," said Cole. "When word began to spread how powerful I was all of their big brothers took over. Demons considerably older than I was made sure to let me know that even with all my power there were still demons more powerful than I was. And they were just as eager to prove it to me as the ones my age were. I just exchanged one set of oppressors for another."

"How long did that last?" Phoebe asked.

"Most of my childhood," said Cole. "As soon as I demonstrated I was more than a match for whoever was picking on me, older more experienced demons stepped up to take their place. And no matter how powerful you are there's always someone who's more powerful than you are."

"I guess the Underworld isn't the best place for someone who's half human," said Piper.

"Oh, that was just the beginning," said Cole. "Those were just the children. The adults can be even more cruel. Children don't know the extent of their powers. Adults do. They knew exactly how to torment me without actually causing me any harm."

"That seems to have changed," said Paige. "What happened to change it?"

"A demon named Kassarian recognized my potential," said Cole. "He took me in as his apprentice and trained me to be a mercenary. Oh, I had several teachers. Each one had their own specialty they taught me. But Kassarian was the first. Somehow he recognized how powerful I was eventually going to be and he decided to train me to use that power. Over time I was able to fully control my power and prove I wasn't the weak half human every other demon thought I was."

"I guess it's worse for hybrids who aren't that powerful," said Paige.

"Much worse," said Cole. "They don't have the power to protect themselves. And without that power they wouldn't have been much use to the Underworld. But they would have been kept around so other demons could torture them."

"Is that what Trinnsia's baby can expect?" asked Piper.

"Oh, she'd never get the chance," said Cole. "As I said, female hybrids are not allowed to live for any reason. Any demon that crosses her path will kill her on sight."

"I still don't understand," said Phoebe. "If female demons are allowed to live why not female hybrids? It almost sounds like they're afraid of female hybrids. But if females aren't that powerful and hybrids even less so, what would they have to fear from a female hybrid? By all accounts they shouldn't have any power at all."

"I can't answer that," said Cole. "I honestly don't know. I'm not sure any demon really does. All I can tell you is that any female hybrid is automatically condemned to death. It's always been that way in the Underworld."

"Nobody said demons made any sense," said Piper.

"Phoebe has a point," said Paige. "It does sound like they're afraid of female hybrids."

"I wonder if our guest in the living room knows anything?" questioned Phoebe.

"Probably not," said Cole. "Female demons aren't allowed to learn much of anything. Only what their masters want them to know. Does it really matter anyway?"

"Well, if we knew what they were afraid of it might give us a weapon to fight them with," said Piper. "We might also be able to use it to make a bargain with her master. Whatever he's afraid of maybe we can do something about it so he doesn't have to be afraid and he'll leave her alone."

"That's not going to happen," said Cole. "Even if he's afraid of something removing that isn't going to change anything. It's Underworld tradition that female hybrids are not allowed to live. And traditions die very hard in the Underworld. Besides, Mephistan enjoys killing, especially humans."

"It's worth a shot," said Piper. "We don't have anything to loose by trying."

"Except the life of an innocent," said Cole. "An innocent who's not even born yet."

"Which we still don't know if she is an innocent," said Phoebe. "For all we know this baby is a full demon, just like her mother."

"Maybe we'll know more when Leo gets back," said Paige. "It shouldn't take that long to find out if the Elders can determine if the child is half human or not."

"You might be surprised," said Piper. "Besides, time doesn't move at the same rate up there as it does here."

"It doesn't?" questioned Paige.

"No," said Phoebe. "When Piper was up there she was gone a month but to her it was only a single day."

"You were in White Lighter land?" questioned Paige.

"Long story," said Piper. "Besides, we might have our answer."

She was watching as Leo was orbing into the kitchen. When he finished orbing he looked at the four in the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," said Piper. "We just thought we'd take a break. What did you find out?"

"It's just as I suspected," said Leo. "The Elders don't think they can verify if the child is half human or not. But they're going to try and see what they can do. In the mean time they said to treat Trinnsia as any other innocent. They'd rather err on the side of caution than inadvertently allow an innocent to die."

"That's easy for them to say," said Piper. "They aren't the ones who have to fight the demons to protect her."

"They're going to do their best," said Leo. "They'll let me know what, if anything, they find out. But they said not to hold your breath."

"The Elders actually said that?" questioned Phoebe.

"I paraphrased some," said Leo.

"We were just wondering what might frighten the demonic hierarchy so much that they'd want to kill any female hybrids," said Paige. "Any thoughts on the matter?"

"Not a one," said Leo. "We've always thought it was because they consider humans beneath them and they consider females beneath them so they considered a combination of the two even more beneath them."

"I suppose that's a possibility," said Piper. "We thought that maybe our guest might know something."

"And I told them I didn't think it was worth it," said Cole. "Females aren't exactly in the loop when it comes to the demonic hierarchy."

"It can't hurt to ask, can it?" asked Leo. "The worst that can happen is she'll say she doesn't know."

"Well, I guess it can't hurt," said Cole. "Just don't be too optimistic about her response."

Together the group went into the living room where Trinnsia was sitting. She was sipping a glass of wine that Piper had given her. When she asked for it Piper had refused saying that wine was not healthy for the fetus. She had finally relented when Cole informed them that even at half human, the baby's constitution would prevent any danger of birth defects.

"Well, we have someone checking on your story," said Piper. "Hopefully we'll have an answer soon. But we do have a few questions we'd like to ask. And we need you to be completely honest with us."

"I understand," said Trinnsia. "I'll tell you whatever I can if it will help you to protect my baby and me."

"Well," said Phoebe, glancing at Cole, "we understand that female hybrids aren't allowed to live. We were just wondering if you knew why that was?"

"N . . . no, I don't," said Trinnsia, glancing nervously at Cole. "As I'm sure Belthazor has told you, females aren't privy to the workings of the hierarchy."

"Yes, I did," said Cole. "And I would appreciate it if you'd call me Cole and not Belthazor. That's not who I am any more."

"Of course," said Trinnsia. "Forgive me. I meant no offense."

"And stop acting like he owns you," said Paige. "Cole nor anyone else is your master here. You have all the rights of anyone else."

"I'm sorry," said Trinnsia. "Centuries of conditioning are hard to overcome."

"We understand that," said Piper. "But if you're going to live in the mortal world you're going to have to start acting like a mortal woman. And that means not bowing and scraping to any guy who happens to say hi to you."

"I'll try," said Trinnsia. "But it may take me some time. My entire life I've been forced to be subservient to males. As I said, it's hard to overcome."

"Okay," said Piper. "Now, you're sure you don't any reason why the hierarchy would be afraid of a female hybrid?"

"No, I don't," said Trinnsia, glancing again at Cole nervously. "I told you I don't "

"She's lying," said Cole.

The girls and Leo looked at Cole and then at Trinnsia wondering what she might be lying about. And just how Cole knew she was lying.


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

"How can you tell she's lying?" Piper asked.

"It's the way she's acting," said Cole. "I've seen it a thousand times in the Underworld. There are definite signs that a person – or demon – shows when they're trying to deceive someone. She's exhibiting almost all of them."

"I can assure you I'm telling the truth," protested Trinnsia. "I don't have any idea why the hierarchy would be afraid of a female hybrid."

"No, but you suspect something," said Cole.

"I . . . I don't know what you mean," said Trinnsia.

"Look," said Cole, "I've spent nearly a hundred years as a mercenary. I've been on dozens of missions where I had to study my prey to get close enough to accomplish my mission. I've learned to read body language. You'd be surprised how much information you can transmit without intending to."

"Look," Piper said to Trinnsia, "if you know or even suspect something you need to tell us. We can't help you otherwise."

"I don't know why the hierarchy would be afraid of a female hybrid," protested Trinnsia.

"But you suspect something," repeated Cole. "Don't deny it. You're practically broadcasting it. Just tell us what you suspect."

"Well," said Trinnsia nervously, "it is possible it has to do with a book I found a while back."

"A book?" questioned Phoebe. "What kind of book?"

"A very ancient book," said Trinnsia. "My master, Mephistan, had ordered me to prepare chambers for one of his newest concubines. He always likes to impress his new conquests as much a possible. He would set up a new chamber for each one. My job was to prepare the personal chambers for them so they would be comfortable."

"Since when are demons concerned with impressing females?" questioned Piper.

"It never hurts to keep your females happy," said Cole. "While they have no choice but to do as they're told it's always better if they cooperate. Mephistan was always particularly interested in that aspect although he was less interested in it with his underlings."

"Yes, well," continued Trinnsia, "while I was preparing the quarters I found a hidden chamber. It wasn't very big. Only about three foot square. I only found it because I did a thorough cleaning of the chambers. I wanted to make sure Mephistan was happy with my work. He can be a most . . . disagreeable master."

"Yeah, I've heard of some of his tantrums," said Cole.

"Inside the alcove I found a book. It was very old. More ancient than any book I had ever seen. And it was written in a very ancient demonic language. A language that hasn't been spoken in several thousand years."

"An ancient book written in a dead demonic tongue?" questioned Leo. "That sounds like the Book of the Ancients."

"What's that?" asked Paige.

"A legend, most likely," said Cole. "A book containing the complete magic of the first beings who used magic."

"That's what I thought at first, too," said Trinnsia. "But I soon found that it wasn't the Book of the Ancients. There were no spells or incantations in it."

"Wait a minute," said Phoebe. "If it was written in a language that hasn't been used in thousands of years how could you know what was in it?"

"Mephistan has a large collection of ancient books," said Trinnsia. "Since I was one of his most trusted servants I had access to those books. I was able to use them to learn the ancient language. At least enough of it to decipher what the book was. I thought if it was the Book of the Ancients then Mephistan would be very grateful and he would reward me for finding it."

"But you said it wasn't this Book of the Ancients," said Paige.

"No," said Trinnsia. "It was something just as old, though. I was able to determine that it was written by a demon named Calliston."

"I know that name," said Leo. "Something very old. Something about being an advisor to one of the early Sources of All Evil or something."

"You're right," said Cole. "He was an advisor to the very first Source. Legend has it that he went on to serve at least three Sources before he was finally vanquished."

"I never knew that's who he was," said Trinnsia. "What I did learn was that he was an historian of sorts. Someone who the Source tasked with keeping a written record of the history of the Underworld."

"That's impossible," said Cole. "The Underworld has never kept a written history."

"Not now," said Trinnsia. "But they did at one time. This Calliston called himself the official historian for the Source."

"It's obviously a fake," said Cole. "As I said there has never been a written history of the Underworld. Every Source has considered it too much like human society that seems obsessed with recording everything they do. It just doesn't make sense that they would do something like that."

"That's what I thought, too," said Trinnsia. "Except at the end of the book Calliston said he was tired of the fighting between demons. He said he planned to 'retire' and seek refuge in an out of the way place in the Underworld. A place where he felt no one would ever find him. That's where I found him."

"Found him?" questioned Cole. "You say you found Calliston? That's impossible. Calliston was vanquished during the fight to choose a new Source thousands of years ago. If he had survived someone would have found him by now."

"Not where he is," said Trinnsia. "As I said, he planned to retire to a place where he felt no one would look for him. In the last place any demon would ever think to look for him. In the Wasteland."


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"The Wasteland?" questioned Paige. "What's the Wasteland?"

"It's a place where vanquished demons go," said Cole. "And no demon would voluntarily go there. There's no way back from it. Which means you couldn't have gone there."

"That's true," said Trinnsia. "He didn't exactly go to the Wasteland. It's an area that borders the Wasteland. I don't think it has an actual name because most demons don't seem to know about it. It's just usually considered a part of the Wasteland."

"I know the area," said Cole. "My mother described it to me. But I always understood that demons couldn't exist there."

"They can," said Trinnsia. "At least Calliston can. Maybe because it's because he so old or because he's so powerful or something else, I don't know. All I know is I went to see him. And what he told me is part of what made me decide to have a half human child."

"What could he have possibly told you that would cause you to decide to have a half human child?" Leo asked. "Especially considering how half demon children are treated in the Underworld?"

"Let's just say that what he told me made me realize that it might be possible for females to be considered equals to male demons," said Trinnsia. "And it's possible my daughter can affect that change."

"No female demon will ever be able to do that," said Cole. "Least of all a half human female. You think I had it bad growing up? It would be a hundred times worse because she's a female."

"You might not think that if you knew what Calliston told me," said Trinnsia.

"And just what did he supposedly tell you?" asked Piper.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," said Trinnsia. "You don't even really believe that my child is half human."

"And you expect us to just accept your word that you spoke to some demon that was vanquished who knows how many hundreds or thousands of years ago?" questioned Piper. "And that this demon gave you information that leads you to believe that female demons will one day be equal to male demons?"

"No," said Trinnsia. "I said what he told made me believe we could be equals. And that my daughter can be the one to do that. And I don't expect you to believe anything."

"So what would you suggest we do?" Cole asked.

"Go speak to Calliston yourself," said Trinnsia. "Learn what he told me. Then make up your own minds. Cole can tell you the significance of what Calliston has to say. Then you'll understand why this is so important to me. To all females in the Underworld."

"That's out of the question," said Leo. "There's no telling how the girl's powers would be affected in the Underworld. If they get caught down there . . . ."

"They wouldn't," said Cole. "Trinnsia's right about one thing. The place where Calliston is supposed to be is the one place no demon would go to. The Wasteland is like an alternate dimension. It borders the Underworld and there is a buffer of sorts between the two. But no demon would go there because there's nothing there."

"You think we should go talk to this Calliston?" questioned Phoebe.

"I can go," said Cole. "I'm kind of curious as to what Calliston would have to say that would have this affect on her. And why she believes she could one day be equal to males. I'm sure all females think about it but no female would dare voice such a thing. It's just not allowed."

"I'm kind of curious, too," said Paige. "I know I'm new at all this but I would kind of like to know why demons keep their females down."

"That is a good question," said Piper. "You'd think that the demons would use everything they have against us. It doesn't make sense they would ignore what must be a very large portion of their population. And I'm sure some of those females have powers that are at least equal to male demons."

"That's true," said Cole. "Some females are even in positions of authority. But those are rare. And it doesn't make sense that the hierarchy would ignore that power. It's just been done for so long that it's normal for the Underworld. It would be interesting to see what precipitated it in the first place. Calliston could conceivably know the answer to those questions."

"You can't be serious?" questioned Leo. "You're just going to go to the Wasteland and leave her here alone?"

"No, you're staying with her," said Cole. "You can't go there anyway. The area we're going to is so close to the Wasteland that your orbing won't work there. My shimmering will but even if you try to orb there you wouldn't make it. So it looks like you're on babysitting duty."

"Piper, this is not a good idea," said Leo. "You can't know what's going to happen when you get there. Cole could be wrong and it could be swarming with demons."

"Well," said Piper, looking at Cole, "I don't think Cole would deliberately put us in danger. Besides, like we said, it might give us something else to use against the demons. God knows we can use all the weapons we can get."

"Thanks," said Cole. "I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"So if we're going to this Wasteland, how do we find this Calliston?" asked Paige. "Is he going to just be sitting around waiting for us?"

"I can shimmer close to wherever he is," said Cole. "I have the ability to sense certain types of creatures. If he's the only one there I should be able to hone in on him and get us very close to him."

"I still think this is a very bad idea," said Leo.

"Just watch over Trinnsia while we're gone," said Piper. "When we get back we can decide what to do next."

"Let's get going," said Piper. "We need to get this thing resolved and until we do we can expect more demon attacks to get to her."

They all linked arms and Cole shimmered them out of the manor as Leo just stared at them.


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"So this is the Wasteland," said Phoebe. "Not exactly what I expected."

"Technically it's not the Wasteland," said Cole. "It's a region that borders the Wasteland. No living being can enter the Wasteland and survive."

They looked at the landscape around them. It was dotted with small shrub-like bushes that looked to be on the edge of dying. A range of mountains seemed to ring the area at a distance. Here and there they could see what looked like large stone protrusions out of the ground and many were dotted with caves.

"Okay, so which way do we go?" Piper asked.

"This way," said Cole, heading for one of the caves. "As far as I can sense there's only one other creature here. He's in that cave."

They approached the cave cautiously. Even though Cole only sensed one other being they all knew that could be misleading. There could be other creatures around that Cole couldn't sense and those creatures could be demons. Cole hesitated for a moment and then entered the cave, followed closely behind by the sisters.

The inside of the cave looked very much like an apartment. The rock outcroppings in the cave had been formed and molded to resemble furniture. On one wall was a shelf that contained several books. In the center of the cavern was a table with a bottle of wine and five glasses on it. Sitting in a molded chair in one corner was a very, very old man. He looked up from a book he was reading as the five entered the cavern.

"Ah, I see you've finally arrived," said the man standing up. He walked over to the table with the bottle of wine and uncorked the decanter. "Right on time, too. Can I offer you a glass of wine? It's very good. I've had this particular vintage for quite some time."

"You must be Calliston," said Cole. "Funny, I thought you'd be taller."

"Ah yes, a small joke to break the ice, so to speak," said Calliston. "I understand that's a human trait. And you are, after all, half human, are you not, Belthazor?"

"You know who I am?" questioned Cole.

"I know all of you," said Calliston. He held up his hand and a crystal ball suddenly appeared in it. "I keep an eye on the mortal plane and the Underworld." The crystal ball suddenly vanished. "I've been here a long time and it's necessary for me to find ways to occupy my time."

"Okay, so if you know who we are then you must also know why we're here," said Piper.

"Certainly," said Calliston. "There aren't many things that can remain hidden from me for long. You've come in search of what I told Trinnsia. Something she has told you that you wouldn't believe from her."

"So what is this big secret you and she share?" questioned Piper.

"My, my, so impatient," said Calliston. "But then that's another human trait. If you humans should learn to be a bit more patient and understanding you might find many of your troubles solving themselves."

"Look, we don't have a lot of time," said Phoebe. "Another demon may attack at any minute and we have to be there to protect Trinnsia. Assuming we need to protect her."

"Time is not a consequence here," said Calliston. "As you are aware time does not move the same in all domains. Here, time is at a virtual standstill. When you leave you will notice no substantial movement on the mortal plane. So Trinnsia is in no danger. For the moment."

"We just want to know what you told her," said Paige. "She said it was something really important and that it could free female demons from their servitude to the male demons."

"Anything is possible," said Calliston. "You three, of all people, should know that."

"So what she told us is true?" asked Piper. "Her unborn child is half human?"

"That much is true," said Calliston. "The father was disposed of once she became pregnant. So in answer to your first question, yes, the child is an innocent."

"And we should believe you because?" questioned Piper.

"Because I have no interest in the fight for good versus evil," said Calliston. "I have no reason to lie to you. And just because I'm technically a demon doesn't mean I'm lying." He glanced at Cole. "Demons do tell the truth."

"Yeah," said Phoebe, "when it suits their purpose."

"And it suits my purpose to be honest with you," said Calliston. "I have nothing to gain by lying to you. I left the Underworld long ago because I did not agree with many of their policies. I have chosen to extricate myself from the fight."

"Tradition says you were vanquished," said Cole.

"Of course," said Calliston. "If I'm dead no one would come looking for me. And it is extremely easy to fake your own death during a war. Such as the war to choose a new Source. So many demons are vanquished during such a struggle it's quite easy to make it appear I was one of them."

"So, why all the subterfuge?" Cole asked. "From what I know you were supposed to be one of the most powerful demons in the Underworld. Are you saying you had no desire to be the Source?"

"The desire, yes," said Calliston. "And, yes, I was one of the most powerful demons. But not the most powerful demon. There were a few more powerful than I was. And I had no desire to be vanquished. Self-preservation is a very strong motivating force even for demons."

"Trinnsia said she found a book you had written," said Cole. "A history of the Underworld?"

"Yes," said Calliston. "That was one of my functions. To maintain a written record of the Underworld. The first Source felt it was necessary to document everything."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Cole. "Every Source I've ever heard of, including the current one, has always seen that as too human. They've never allowed a written history of the Underworld."

"It was not always so," said Calliston. "As I said, the first Source felt it was necessary."

"The first Source?" questioned Paige. "Just how old are you anyway?"

"I really don't know," said Calliston. "That far back there really was no accurate way of keeping track of time. Everyone had their own methods, not all of which were exactly accurate. Let's just say I've seen most human civilizations rise and fall and I still exist."

"We came here to learn what you told Trinnsia," said Piper. "Impatience may be a human trait but then we are human. So if we could just get on with it."

"Of course," said Calliston. "Trinnsia came to see me about a dozen human years ago. As you have said, she found one of my old histories. I had thought them all destroyed. Apparently at least one escaped my purge."

"Purge?" questioned Cole. "You destroyed them yourself."

"Yes," said Calliston. "On the orders of the Source himself."

"But I thought you said the Source ordered you to keep the history?" questioned Phoebe.

"The first Source did," said Calliston. "It was the third Source that ordered them destroyed. He was the one who instituted most of the traditions the Underworld now observes."

"Boy, you must really be old," said Phoebe, "if you've lived through three Sources."

"Not so much," said Calliston. "The first Source served for many hundreds of years. When the second Source came to power, he served only a few months before he was challenged. Well, perhaps challenged is not the right word. To be honest, he was stabbed in the back by the one closest to him. Literally."

"And the third Source ordered you to destroy the histories?" questioned Paige.

"Yes," said Calliston. "He also ordered that no written history of the Underworld be kept. He knew the histories would be passed down by word of mouth. He also knew that, over time, those histories would become corrupted. That eventually any resemblance to the truth would be coincidental at best."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Piper. "Why would he want to corrupt the history of the Underworld?"

"Believe it or not," said Calliston, "he had the best of intentions. He knew that at some future time someone might want to bring retribution down on those who were responsible for what had happened to the first Source. Demons can be singularly vindictive, as I'm sure you have discovered."

"Yeah, we've learned that well enough," said Phoebe. "But why would demons want to bring retribution down because of what happened to the first Source? I thought demons just served whoever was the successor of their vanquished masters?"

"Now, yes," said Calliston. "But it was not always so. In the beginning most demons belonged to one faction or another. And those factions were fiercely loyal to their masters. The death of a master required retribution for the vanquishing. Infighting in the Underworld was even greater than it is now. That's because now the Source has the power of all the Underworld at his disposal. It was not always so."

"So the third Source ordered the histories destroyed so he could protect the servants of the second Source?" questioned Piper.

"No, the servants of the first Source," said Calliston.

"Okay, I'm confused," said Phoebe. "Why would the Source be worried about the servants of a previous Source?"

"I suppose you could say it was because he didn't want his sisters punished for what his father had done," said Calliston.

"You aren't making any sense," said Piper. "Why should his sisters be punished for what his father had done?"

"His father had vanquished the first Source," said Calliston. "Many of her servants had helped him vanquish her believing he would give them more power. It was this betrayal that caused the third Source his concern."

"So the third Source felt that the servants of the first Source might take their retribution out on the servants of the first Source for betraying him," said Paige.

"Precisely," said Calliston. "Lillith had a large following of servants and retribution on them could have decimated the demonic ranks."

"Lillith?" questioned Cole. "That's a female name."

"Exactly right," said Calliston, smiling coyly. "Now you know what is probably the most closely guarded, albeit least remembered, secret in the Underworld. The first Source of All Evil was female."


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

"Okay, hang on a second," said Piper. "The first Source was female?"

"That's right," said Calliston. "Her name was Lillith. It was she who first organized the Underworld. And it was she who first served as the leader of the combined forces of evil."

"How come I've never heard any of this?" questioned Cole.

"Because the histories were destroyed," said Calliston. "And as I said, being passed down by word of mouth they have been corrupted over the millennia. So much so that all reference to Lillith has been forgotten by all but the eldest of demons."

"I remember learning about Lillith in one of my college classes," said Paige. "She was supposedly Adam's first wife. She was seduced by Satan and became evil."

"Humans have a need to explain things in terms they can understand," said Calliston. "If they can't find a reasonable explanation they'll explain it in whatever terms are most rational to them."

"I still don't understand," said Phoebe. "How does destroying all the histories protect Lillith's servants?"

"Because most of her servants were female," said Calliston. "They comprised the most powerful demons in the Underworld."

"But female demons have no real power," said Cole. "With a few notable exceptions."

"On that you would be mistaken," said Calliston. "Female demons are among the most powerful demons. More so than the males. It's why the first Source was a female. She was the only one to have the sufficient power to bring the Underworld together.

"They can also be the most aggressive. There are examples in nature on the mortal plane. While the male lion is greatly feared, it is actually the female that does most of the hunting. And nature as well as human history is replete with examples of how the female of the species can be much more aggressive than the male. Take the Black Widow spider. She kills her mate after mating."

"But what does that have to do with the third Source banning the Underworld history?" asked Paige.

"The first Source, as I've send, was Lillith," said Calliston, "a female. Her consort was a male demon. He was a concubine of sorts."

"A male concubine?" questioned Paige. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, for lack of a better term, yes," said Calliston. "Lillith treated male demons very similarly to how females are treated in the Underworld today. Much like second-class citizens. It is one of the reasons there is such infighting in the Underworld. Second-class citizens quite often hold a lot of resentments against those who oppress them.

"Eventually her consort became fed up, so to speak, with the way he was treated. He convinced some of Lillith's servants to help him. Because he was Lillith's consort she trusted him. So he was able to get close enough to her."

"To vanquish her," said Cole.

"Yes," said Calliston. "Which, of course, made him the second Source. When he became the Source he began to pay back the female demons who had mistreated him. He learned how to draw power from his followers and used that power to punish everyone who he felt had mistreated him. Many female demons were vanquished under his rule."

"He killed them?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes," said Calliston. "The final straw was when he went after Lillith's daughters. His own daughters. By this time all he cared about was vengeance. He had gotten a taste of power and needless to say he liked it. He felt completely justified in simply vanquishing those he felt had wronged him. Even if they were innocent themselves.

"Lillith's only son finally decided this was enough. Her consort was his father but he realized that his father was no longer rational. He was vanquishing demons for no reason whatsoever. So, to protect his sisters and any other demon who might cross his father's path, he vanquished his father. Becoming the third Source. I must add at this juncture that the term 'Source of All Evil' had not been coined yet."

"He vanquished his own father?" questioned Paige. "That sounds just like a demon."

"He did it to protect others," said Calliston. "Despite what you may believe, demons are capable of compassion."

"And that led to females demons being subjugated?" questioned Cole.

"Indirectly," said Calliston. "The third Source decided to put an end to all of the retributions that had become common in the Underworld. He had lost his mother because of his father's jealousy and he had to vanquish his own father because of that same jealousy. He realized that if it continued the demons would eventually destroy themselves.

"So he commanded that retribution retaliations were abolished forever. He also forbade female demons from using their powers to exact revenge on the underlings who had served his father. He was concerned that if they tried to avenge themselves for the murder of their mistress it might keep the retributions going despite his commands."

"How was he able to enforce it?" asked Cole. "If the females were so much more powerful how was he able to control them?"

"The same way his father had," said Calliston. "He had learned the secret his father had learned about drawing power from his servants. And he surrounded himself with the most powerful servants he could find: female demons who had served a master other than his mother.

"It wasn't easy at first. He found it necessary to vanquish demons who would not follow his commands. But as he did he would take in those servants as his own, thereby increasing his own power. Over time many of his opponents realized they would never be able to match his power. Alliances began to be formed and with each alliance the Source collected more power."

"That sounds suspiciously like an ascension ceremony," said Cole.

"The beginnings of it, yes," said Calliston. "Over the centuries what he started all those millennia ago would eventually evolve into the current ascension ceremony."

"So the females voluntarily stopped using their power?" asked Piper.

"Not completely," said Calliston. "There were those who refused to comply. Eventually the Source had no choice but to vanquish those. He also realized that as long as the females were allowed to have free reign many would never submit. He also realized that without their strict obedience he would never be able to end the retributions that plagued the Underworld."

"What did he do?" asked Paige.

"He used his newly acquired powers to force the females into seclusion," said Calliston. "They were locked away in a special area of the Underworld where they could be controlled."

"It sounds more like he was locking them away for his good rather than theirs," said Paige.

"Actually, if he had not done what he did," said Calliston, "civil war would have broken out in the Underworld. His actions actually helped saved the Underworld from a dreadful war. Over the centuries they began to let the females out of their confinement. But all knowledge of Lillith and her rule had been forgotten by that time. By both the male and female demons. Oh, some few of the older demons still remembered. But it was rarely spoken of in public, as it were."

"And that's how females became the subjugated demons they are today?" questioned Piper.

"Yes," said Calliston. "With all knowledge of Lillith forgotten so was the knowledge that females used to occupy a much higher position in the Underworld. So was the knowledge that their power was actually greater than what is believed now. And it explains why certain female demons seem to have more power than others. Like any magical beings some are more powerful than others."

"And keeping the females subjugated keeps them from learning the power they really have?" questioned Phoebe.

"Oh, that's not the reason for it today, of course," said Calliston. "Today it is simply a tradition in the Underworld. Females are subservient to males. That's the way things are. And it does not appear to be changing anytime in the near future."

"Well that certainly explains a great deal," said Cole. "I often wondered if there were any females who were as powerful as males. I guess that answers my question."

"Yeah, but it doesn't explain why the demonic hierarchy is so afraid of a female hybrid," said Phoebe.

"To the current hierarchy, the reasons are lost to obscurity," said Calliston. "But in the past the reasons were well known. At least to the very pinnacle of the hierarchy. And even today that knowledge is passed from one Source to the next. Only the Source knows why. And it gives him power over others so it's not something he's likely to divulge to another demon."

"So, what's the secret?" asked Piper.

"Have you never wondered why Belthazor is so much more powerful than even many full demons?" Calliston asked.

"Of course," said Phoebe. "I guess most people who know about him have. Most hybrids are supposedly very weak."

"This is true," said Calliston. "The mixing of human and demonic DNA can have the most unfortunate result of diluting both bloodlines effectively reducing the effectiveness of any powers the hybrid may have. But this is not always the case. In some cases, such as Belthazor's, the mixing of the genes can actually enhance those powers. Making them stronger than normal. Especially since it was your mother that was the demon."

"So it was because my mother and not my father was a demon that I'm so powerful," said Cole.

"Exactly," said Calliston. "As I'm sure you're aware, the lineage of a demon is passed down through the female of the species. So that is where you get your power from. But it was your father who actually helped increase your power."

'I don't understand," said Cole. "My father was a mortal. How could he have possibly been responsible for my power?"

"He was a mortal, yes," said Calliston. "But that is not necessarily true of your ancestors. It was your great, great, great grandmother, I believe. I could be wrong about that. Sometimes it's difficult to remember exactly.

"Anyway, her only child was a male so the lineage effectively stopped there. But your family has always carried the gene. When it combined with the demonic DNA from your mother it greatly increased your power far beyond that which would have been normal."

"What gene?" Cole asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your ancestor, Katherine Warren," said Calliston. "The woman who passed her power down through her line culminating in you."

"Warren?" asked Paige. "You mean as in Melinda Warren?"

"I mean as in Brianna Warren," said Calliston. "They were sisters. Brianna had a female child which culminated in the Charmed Ones. Katherine had a son, which, as I've said, culminated in Belthazor. Your ancestors, Belthazor, are the same ancestors shared by the Charmed Ones. And it's why your power is so much greater than most other hybrids."


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

"You're saying I'm related to them?" questioned Cole. "How is that even possible?"

"Only distantly," said Calliston. "Trace a family tree back far enough and even you can show a relationship between any two humans. But it does explain your increased power. You have the bloodline of a powerful witch in your veins."

"How does that explain why the Source is so afraid of female hybrids?" asked Phoebe.

"Imagine that same power combination except in a female," said Calliston. "Person for person females are actually more powerful than their males counterparts. Now, imagine that increased power, only imagine it supplemented by the lineage of a powerful witch line. You know how powerful Belthazor is. Imagine that power increased by, say, the lineage of the Charmed Ones."

"Are you saying that Trinnsia's baby is also descended from Melinda Warren?" Piper asked.

"No, I'm not," said Calliston. "But Melinda Warren was not the only powerful witch of the past. There were others. Many were nearly as powerful as Melinda Warren herself, just as there were also powerful demons at the same time. Imagine a comparable power to the line of Melinda Warren supplementing the increased power of a female demon. Such an offspring could well surpass the power of even the most powerful male demon today."

"No wonder the Source doesn't want any female hybrids," said Cole. "A female demon that powerful could effectively challenge the Source himself. And if she were powerful enough she might be able to defeat him."

"More than that," said Calliston. "She would show that the female demons were not the insignificant second-class citizens they have always believed themselves to be. That the male demons have always made them believe they are. What do you think could happen then?"

"The civil war you mentioned earlier," said Paige. "If the female demons knew they weren't helpless they'd probably want to take their rightful place in the demonic hierarchy. Get back the positions of power they once held."

"Exactly," said Calliston. "Now you know why the Source will not allow a female hybrid to live. And why the mothers of such hybrids are vanquished. To prevent them from ever again attempting to produce such an offspring again. A female hybrid could conceivably prove a very real threat to the Source. In order to prevent that they simply make sure that no such hybrid exists."

"No wonder the Underworld fears a female hybrid so much," said Piper. "And if one of them should ever become the Source she would prove a very real threat to the forces of good as well. It's possible that not even we would be powerful enough to stand against her."

"That," said Calliston, "is a very real possibility. The power of the Charmed Ones at the command of the Source of All Evil. I can think of no one more powerful. And they would be virtually undefeatable."

"Which means we can't allow Trinnsia to have her baby," said Piper. "If she's going to be that powerful . . . ."

"I didn't say that," said Calliston.

"You said her power was augmented by the power of a witch nearly as power as Melinda Warren," said Phoebe.

"No," said Calliston, "I asked you to imagine such a being. I never said Trinnsia's child had that connection. I only said that her offspring was half human."

"So what are you saying?" asked Paige.

"I'm saying," said Calliston, "that the power Trinnsia's offspring will have is going to be . . . negligible."

"Negligible?" questioned Cole. "As in no powers?"

"As in not enough to be a concern," said Calliston. "Unfortunately, the father of the child has no witch in his lineage. At least none recent enough to be of any consequence. Trinnsia believes her child could well grow up to be the Source of All Evil and free her sister demons from their enslavement. I'm afraid that is never going to happen. You see, there is what I believe you would call a downside to the scenario I've described."

"What's that?" asked Cole.

"The suppression of the demonic DNA," said Calliston. "In your case, your lineage has helped to actually increase the power you possess. The normal situation, however, are the demon-human hybrids that have come before you. The human DNA actually suppresses the demonic DNA thereby suppressing the power. It is, I believe, because the mothers were human. That is ultimately the deciding factor in the power of offspring. Your three companions are evidence of that."

"This has been quite informative," said Piper. "I guess we learned what we came here for. Thanks for the information. With it we might be able to use it to protect ourselves in the future. At least we know that Trinnsia's baby is an innocent and deserves our protection."

"The information may not be as useful as you imagine," said Calliston.

"What do you mean?" asked Cole.

"Remember I said that the female of the species was usually the more aggressive?"

"Yes, we remember," said Paige.

"If the female demons should ever learn of their true heritage," said Calliston, "that would precipitate the civil war which the third Source hoped to avoid. Only they would not stop with the male demons who have subjugated them all these millennia. Most females see humanity as the reason for that subjugation. The males subjugate the females in order to further their plans against the human race. At least, that's what the females believe."

"Which means if the females should ever get control," said Cole, "they'd want to punish humanity for that. A long time ago the leaders of good and evil agreed on certain terms. Such as the 48 hour period when a witch first gets her powers where she can be swayed either way."

"I remember that," said Paige. "I very nearly made the wrong choice."

"Exactly," said Cole. "Only the agreement was made by the male leadership of the Underworld. The females, for the most part, weren't a part of the agreement."

"Which means they're under no obligation to abide by it," said Piper.

"That's right," said Cole. "They could start open warfare on humanity and there would be nothing to stop them. Magic would be exposed to the mortal world and thousands, perhaps millions, of innocents could be killed in the ensuing war. And I can tell you from personal experience, the females wouldn't stop until every human had paid for what they would perceive as the subjugation of the entire female population of the Underworld."

"Oh, that wouldn't be good," said Piper.

"No, it wouldn't," said Calliston. "I hold no love for humans. I am, after all, a demon which means by definition we are adversaries. But I also have no desire to see those made to pay for wrongs or supposed wrongs committed centuries or even millennia before they were born.

"It was the reason for my decision to 'retire'. When the third Source was finally challenged I realized that the 'safeguards' which he had instituted had begun to be subtly altered. And I also realized that nothing I said would have made a difference. The Source, whoever he may have been, would not listen to me.

"So I decided to remove myself from the conflict. I knew if they believed I was dead they wouldn't come looking for me. And I chose this place since it was literally the last place any demon would think to look for me. It seems I made only a minor mistake in my plans."

"The book," said Cole.

"Yes," said Calliston. "I had thought them all destroyed. But because of an oversight my plans have been undone."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much," said Piper. "We aren't about to tell anyone that you're here. Not that anyone would listen to us anyway. But as long as you aren't a threat to us or any innocents you have nothing to worry from us."

"I thank you," said Calliston. "I have no desire to return to the Underworld. My reasons for staying there died long ago."

"Lillith," said Cole. "You loved her."

"What?" exclaimed Phoebe. "I thought evil couldn't love? Cole, you said it was impossible for evil to love anyone."

"Yes, I did," said Cole thoughtfully. "It's possible that's not a hard and fast rule, however. It is possible that at least some demons can love. I do."

"You're half human," said Phoebe.

"You are correct," said Calliston. "I served Lillith by choice. I loved her but I was nothing more than a servant to her. Still, I served her without reservation. When her consort murdered her I wanted to kill him myself. But I wasn't powerful enough to do it. When her son avenged her death, I sided with him."

"But now you live here," said Cole.

"As I said, there is nothing left in the Underworld for me. I'm content to live out the remainder of my days here."

"I thought demons were immortal?" questioned Paige.

"They are," said Calliston. "But all things must eventually pass. I may live thousands of years. Perhaps more. But eventually even demons die. No one lives forever."

"We better be going," said Cole. "We learned what we came here to learn."

"And a great deal more, I'd say," said Phoebe.

"It would be best if you do not inform Trinnsia that her offspring will have no power," said Calliston. "If she learns that she may attempt to try again. If you leave things as they are she will be content to raise the child waiting for the child's power to manifest themselves. By the time she realizes that's not going to happen, it will be too late for her to do anything about it."

"We'll give it some thought," said Piper. "Thanks for telling us all this. I'm not sure what good it will do us but at least we know now."

"Your silence about me will be thanks enough," said Calliston.

"Don't worry," said Cole. "I don't think any of us is going to be saying anything about you. I'm not sure anyone would believe us if we did, anyway."

Calliston thanked them and picked up the book he had been reading. He reseated himself and all but ignored the sisters and Cole. They left the cavern to return to the spot where Cole had shimmered them into this domain at. He said it would make it easier to return to the mortal plane. When they reached the place where they had appeared, he shimmered them back to the manor.


	12. Chapter 12

TWELVE

"What happened?" Leo asked as they shimmered into the manor. "You left here barely a minute ago. Did you forget something?"

"Leo, do you remember when we went to the White Lighter realm just after we got married?" Piper asked. "How we were gone about a day but nearly a month passed here on Earth?"

"Yes, of course I do," said Leo. "That's when we got that gift you hated so much."

"I didn't hate it," defended Piper. "It just wasn't my favorite gift, that's all. Well, it was something like that. Apparently this Wasteland is a place where time moves at a different rate from here on the mortal plane."

"It's not the Wasteland," said Cole. "I keep telling you it's a border plane between the Underworld and the Wasteland."

"Whatever," said Phoebe. "We learned what we went there to learn."

"Well?" questioned Leo. "What did Calliston have to say?"

"We'll fill you in later," said Piper. "Right now we have to do something about our guest."

"What would you suggest?" asked Cole. "You heard what Calliston said. The child isn't going to have any substantial powers."

"If he was right," said Phoebe. "I can tell you not all premonitions of the future are real clear. Or he could have misinterpreted whatever he did see. Or maybe he's just guessing. There could be any number of explanations."

"Leo," said Piper thoughtfully, "what happens if a pregnant woman takes a potion? Would that potion affect her unborn child?"

"I don't know," said Leo. "I suppose that would depend on what the potion was for. Since the mother and child's systems are interconnected I imagine the affects of the potion would be passed onto the child. At least until it was born. Once the mother's blood is out of the baby's system there's no telling what if any affect the potion would have then."

"I'm just concerned about right now," said Piper. "Would the potion still affect the mother after the baby was born?"

"I imagine so," said Leo. "It would still be in her system even after the baby was born. Why all the questions?"

"I think I might have a way to fix this," said Piper. "We can protect the unborn innocent and stop the demon attacks all in one. Come on. Let's go see what kind of maternal instinct Trinnsia really has."

They all went into the living room. Trinnsia was sitting on the sofa still sipping her glass of wine. She stood up as they came out of the kitchen.

"Well?" she asked. "Did you speak to Calliston?"

"Yeah, we spoke to him," said Piper. "And I suppose he told us the same thing he told you."

"So you see what I mean," said Trinnsia. "When my daughter grows up she can free us from the rule of the male demons. And being half human she'll understand humanity as Cole does. She can be a great benefit to both sides."

"Or the greatest enemy ever," said Phoebe. "There's no guarantee that she'll feel the same way about mankind as Cole does."

"Besides," said Cole, "it took me over a hundred years before I began to feel that way. Before I did, I did a lot of damage to the human race. I'm not particularly proud of it but there's nothing I can do to change it. But I do know that if she feels like I did initially she can do a lot more damage with the power she could have."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," said Trinnsia. "I'll make sure she doesn't grow up hating humanity. Her father was human, after all. She should embrace both of her heritages."

"Yeah, well, that's not been our experience," said Piper. "Demons don't usually go out of their way to teach their offspring tolerance of humans. There's no reason for us to believe you would be any different."

"But my baby," said the demoness. "She's an innocent. You're the Charmed Ones. It's your job to protect her."

"She's also half demon," said Piper. "Which means we're supposed to vanquish her. So it would seem we have a problem. Protect an innocent and maybe allow a demon to grow up. Or vanquish a demon and an innocent at the same time. Neither is exactly something I really want to do."

"You have to protect my baby," said Trinnsia desperately. "You can't allow an innocent to die."

"Maybe we can work out a bargain," said Piper. "And maybe we can stop the demons from coming after you at the same time."

"How?" asked Trinnsia. "What do I have to do?"

"Take a power binding potion," said Piper. "Once your powers are bound the demons shouldn't be bothering you."

"It will bind my child's powers, too," said Trinnsia. "She can never free the female demons if her powers are bound."

"Look," said Piper, "we only need to keep her powers bound until we're sure you'll keep your word to teach her not to hate humanity. After she's born and we're sure she's not going to be a threat to us we can unbind her powers. That will still give her the opportunity to free your people if she wants."

"Trinnsia," said Cole, "it's a good offer. Any mercenary that comes after you is going to hone in on your powers. That's how Larrick was able to find you. With your powers bound it's like not having powers at all. You can go some place where they won't be expecting you to be and be perfectly safe from them. Without your powers they won't have any idea where to look."

"Where could I go that they won't look for me?" asked Trinnsia. "Other than San Francisco I've spent almost no time on the mortal plane. I wouldn't have the first idea where to hide."

"I have a few places in mind," said Cole. "In fact I think I know the perfect place where you can hide that no demon would ever think to look for you."

"What about the binding?" Trinnsia asked.

"Like I said," said Piper, "once we're convinced you aren't teaching your daughter to wipe out the human race we can unbind them. Until then you'll be perfectly safe and we don't have to worry about unleashing another demon on the world."

"Well," said Trinnsia hesitantly, "I guess it's the best solution. And she will still be able to free my people one day."

"I'll get started on the binding potion right away," said Piper. "In the mean time I suggest you stop with the wine. Once we bind your powers you'll be human for all intents and purposes. And any alcohol can be dangerous for an unborn child. If you're really serious about having a healthy baby it's probably a good idea to start right now."

"Okay," said Trinnsia. "There are some problems that mortals have that demons don't. I guess I'll have to start learning how to live as a human."

Cole shimmered into the kitchen just as Piper was finishing the touches on a cake. He reached over and grabbed a small bit of icing on the tip of his finger, and then stuck his finger in his mouth. Piper smacked his hand with the spatula she was using on the cake.

"Leave that alone," she snapped. "The cake is for everyone."

"It's good," said Cole with a smile on his face. "What's the occasion? I don't recall it being anyone's birthday."

"No reason. I just felt like baking a cake. Besides, we have to have something for desert. I thought cake was a good idea. So, what about Trinnsia? Is she all tucked away where the demons can't find her?"

"Snug as a bug in a rug. She's in a small Midwestern town that's about as far from demonic interest as possible. There's no way any demon is going to be looking for her there. And even if a demon should go to the town for some reason she won't appear to them as anything more than just another innocent."

"What about work?" asked Piper. "She's going to have to support herself somehow."

"It seems a local cleaning company was hiring. Happy Maids or something like that. I figure since she was responsible for cleaning Mephistan's quarters it was a good job for her. Only this time she'll be getting paid for it. That will be a new experience for her."

"In answer to your unasked question, Phoebe's upstairs. She said when you got home to send you right up."

"Thanks," said Cole, taking another swipe at the cake.

Piper playfully flicked a towel at him as he hurried out of the kitchen. She thought about Trinnsia as he headed for the stairs. She and Leo hadn't been married that long but she was all ready thinking about children. It would be a while, she knew. But she was wondering what kind of mother she would be when she did have children. She knew that a person's life experience had a real impact on what kind of a parent they were. She often thought about how her life experience would affect her as a parent.

The End


End file.
